Mold mounting for making ceramic bathroom pieces

ABSTRACT

The mold mounting according to this invention is intended for molds in the mass, mechanized production of sanitary pieces such as basins, bidets, toilets and the like of ceramic material, and permits a perfect positioning of the various mold portions and an easy handling of the mold in the desired positions corresponding to the slip casting, slip draining, mold piston stripping and piece stripping operations.

United States Patent [191 Maringer et a1.

[ MOLD MOUNTING FOR MAKING CERAMIC BATHROOM PIECES [75] Inventors: Robert Maringer; Claude Cordelle,

both of La Ferte Gaucher, France [73] Assignee: Villeroy & lBoch S.A., Gaucher,

France [22] Filed: July 8, 1971 [21] Appl. N0.: 160,719

[30] .Foreign Application Priority Data July 9, 1970 France 7025501 [52] US. Cl. 425/435, 249/137 [51] lint. C1 8128b 1/28 [58] Field of Search 425/435, 439, 88; 249/137 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,523,343 8/1970 Mitchel 425/88 1,863,628 6/1932 Hanley et al 425/88 3,080,636 3/1963 Zerlaut 425/439 [451 Dec. 25, 1973 3,003,188 10/1961 Weiss 249/137 X 1,813,721 7/1931 Wright 425/453 X 3,647,345 3/1972 Claessens... 425/439 3,542,213 11/1970 Gram 425/453 X 3,448,497 6/1969 Arnold et al 425/109 3,568,272 3/1971 Zmania 425/435 X 2,834,088 5/1958 Miller 249/137 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 542,932 5/1956 Italy 425/435 Primary Examiner-Robert D. Baldwin Att0rneyMorton Amster et a1.

[5 7 ABSTRACT The mold mounting according to this invention is intended for molds in the mass, mechanized production of sanitary pieces such as basins, bidets, toilets and the like of ceramic material, and permits a perfect positioning of the various mold portions and an easy han' dling of the mold in the desired positions corresponding to the slip casting, slip draining, mold piston stripping and piece stripping operations.

1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures PAIENTED EH12 51975 sum 1 OF 2 lNVEAlTORS. $055k? MA/P/A//E'R cmubs CORDELLE 19 F R/VH9 MOLD MOUNTING FOR MAKING CERAMIC BATHROOM PIECES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates in general to mountings for movably supporting molds in the sanitary or bathroom piece industry, i.e., for making bidets, toilets, basins, etc. and has specific. reference to a mounting of this character permitting a perfect positioning of the various mold portions and an easy handling of the mold proper for directing and locking same in the desired angular positions corresponding generally to the slip casting operation, the slip draining operation, the mold piston stripping and the piece stripping operations.

A mounting according to this invention is intended more particularly for use in automatic production lines.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Various propositions have already been made with a view to facilitate the mold handling operations. Some of these known devices, such as described and illustrated in the French Pat. No. 1,505,637, German Pat. No. 219,673, US. Pat. No. 1,914,740, are stationary, and others, as described and illustrated in the French Pat. No. 737,886 and British Pat. No. 1,021,120 are movable. However, all these known devices have a common inconvenience they are extremely elaborate and therefore difficult to operate, so that the molds are generally handled manually.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION To this end and according to the present invention this mounting is characterized essentially in that it consists of a pair of vertical parallel wheels rigidly interconnected and between which the various mold sections are assembled, positioned and'clamped, said pair of wheels being on the one hand carried by a truck movable on a track, and on the other hand adapted to rotate on said truck.

According to another feature characterinz this invention this mounting is adapted to be disassembled, at least partially, to facilitate the mold assembling operation and the stripping of the molded piece, and to this end each wheel comprises a pair of separate circular sectors independent of each other.

The idea of positioning and clamping a mold in a rotary structure is already known in the building industry, notably for manufacturing prefabricated concrete building elements, and the devices designed for this purpose and described more particularly in the French Pat. No. 1,518,637, German Pat. No. 812,894 and US. Pat. No. 1,007,420, 1,452,665, 1,778,003 and 2,834,088 though adapted to perform this function are ill suited for use in the ceramic or china industry.

In contrast thereto, the mold mounting according to this invention is extremely simple and easy to handle and operate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Other features and advantages of this mounting will appear as the following description proceeds with reference to the attached drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the mounting of this invention, shown in the slip draining position during the manufacture of a toilet or pan;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view showing on a larger scale the means provided for assembling the two sections of the mounting, and

FIG. 3 shows the means provided for positioning and locking the mounting in one of its operative positions.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Reference will now be made to the drawing. The mounting 1 for a mold 2 designed for making a toilet or pan of ceramic or china material consists essentially of a pair of vertical wheels 3, each wheel comprising a pair of asymmetries circular sectors 3a, 3b properly braced by cross members 4 to constitute a rigid frame structure.

The two sectors 30 are detachable to facilitate the mold assembling operation and the stripping of the molded piece; they comprise positioning studs 5 adapted, when the mounting is closed and locked by a tension device 6, to engage sockets 7 carried by the other pair of sectors 3b.

This mounting is carried by four rollers 8 rotatably mounted in the upper portion of a cradle-shaped truck 9.

According to a preferred from of embodiment of the instant invention the cross-sectional contour of the wheel rims is T-shaped and engages with the wings 10 the supporting central leg 11 the grooves of said rollers.

This mounting is adapted to rotate on the truck 9 and comprises means for locking the mounting in different operative positions corresponding to the slip casting operation, to the slip draining operation, to the mold piston stripping operation and to the piece stripping operation, respectively.

These locking means, in the example illustrated in FIG. 3, comprise the combination of catches l2 corresponding in number to the working positions of the mounting; these catches 12 are secured to the mounting and engageable by a bolt 13 movable on the truck 9 and adapted to be actuated by means of a treadle 14.

A support 15 carrying the lower and upper sections 16, 17 respectively of the mold is suitably secured to each one of the two mounting sections, and the two shells constituting the mold sides are clamped against each other by straps 18.

To permit the insertion of a mounting of this type in an automatic production line, the truck 9 comprises a platform 19 adapted to travel on the rails 20 of a track extending transversely to the mounting, said platform 19 comprising in turn rails 21 extending longitudinally to the truck and transversely to the track 20; thus, the cradle-shaped truck upper structure 22 supporting the rollers 8 can move along these rails 21 and is adapted to be locked in relation to platform 19 by means of a suitable device 23.

Of course, many modifications may be brought to the specific form of embodiment described and illustrated herein by way of example, without departing from the basic principle of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. Thus, notably, the rotation, locking (in the selected operative positions), opening of the mounting, as well as the opening of the two mold shells,

sections may differ according to the type, characteristics and size of the ceramic or china pieces to be produced.

What is claimed is:

1. Mounting for molding elements comprising a lower element, a pair of lateral elements and an upper element, for manufacturing bathroom pieces of ceramic material, said mounting being adapted to bring in succession said elements carried by said mounting to various working stations spaced from one another, said mounting comprising a tray, four wheels mounted to the lower portion of said tray for carrying same on a main track extending past the various working stations, the upper portion of said tray being provided with a pair of transverse rails in relation to said main track, a cradle comprising a pair of parallel plates, other wheels mounted to the lower portion of said cradle plates and adapted to roll on said transverse rails in relation to said main track to permit the transfer of said cradle to a secondary track perpendicular to said main track,

said secondarv track constituting the access to one of said working stations, rollers mounted to the upper portions of said plates by reason of two rollers per plate, a pair of parallel rings having a common axis extending across said cradle plates and braced to each other, each ring being rotatably carried by the two rollers of one of the cradle plates, wherein said pair of rings are shaped and dimensioned to permit the fastening of the molding elements in the various relative arrangements to be imparted to said elements in the various working stations, wherein said pair of rings comprises two pairs of segments of unequal angular amplitudes, adapted to be interconnected by contracting each other along a flat coupling face substantially parallel to the ring axis, assembling and disassembling movements being guided in the direction perpendicular to said flat coupling face by studs parallel to this direction and carried by one of the two pairs of segments, said studs being adapted to engage corresponding sockets carried by the other pair of egments, the disassembling and assembling of said two pairs of segments being performed when the pair of segments bearing on the cradle rollers has been brought, by rotation on said cradle, to a position wherein the coupling face of said pair of segments is disposed horizontally, through a vertical lifting movement or a vertical downward movement, respectively, against gravity, said mounting further comprising at least one strap anchored to cross members of said two pairs of segments, respectively, for stiffening the assembly of said two pairs of segments, when said two pairs of segments are assembled with each other by engaging said studs into said sockets. 

1. Mounting for molding elements comprising a lower element, a pair of lateral elements and an upper element, for manufacturing bathroom pieces of ceramic material, said mounting being adapted to bring in succession said elements carried by said mounting to various working stations spaced from one another, said mounting comprising a tray, four wheels moUnted to the lower portion of said tray for carrying same on a main track extending past the various working stations, the upper portion of said tray being provided with a pair of transverse rails in relation to said main track, a cradle comprising a pair of parallel plates, other wheels mounted to the lower portion of said cradle plates and adapted to roll on said transverse rails in relation to said main track to permit the transfer of said cradle to a secondary track perpendicular to said main track, said secondary track constituting the access to one of said working stations, rollers mounted to the upper portions of said plates by reason of two rollers per plate, a pair of parallel rings having a common axis extending across said cradle plates and braced to each other, each ring being rotatably carried by the two rollers of one of the cradle plates, wherein said pair of rings are shaped and dimensioned to permit the fastening of the molding elements in the various relative arrangements to be imparted to said elements in the various working stations, wherein said pair of rings comprises two pairs of segments of unequal angular amplitudes, adapted to be interconnected by contracting each other along a flat coupling face substantially parallel to the ring axis, assembling and disassembling movements being guided in the direction perpendicular to said flat coupling face by studs parallel to this direction and carried by one of the two pairs of segments, said studs being adapted to engage corresponding sockets carried by the other pair of segments, the disassembling and assembling of said two pairs of segments being performed when the pair of segments bearing on the cradle rollers has been brought, by rotation on said cradle, to a position wherein the coupling face of said pair of segments is disposed horizontally, through a vertical lifting movement or a vertical downward movement, respectively, against gravity, said mounting further comprising at least one strap anchored to cross members of said two pairs of segments, respectively, for stiffening the assembly of said two pairs of segments, when said two pairs of segments are assembled with each other by engaging said studs into said sockets. 